Five Nights at Manny's
by Kashimalin
Summary: Meet Paige and Shrignold, two young adults trying to make due for the rent. Not wanting to work at a dead-end job, they decide to take on the double-duty security guard task at the local kid's place, Manny Myrtle's. Their only lifeline the wheelchair-bound previous guard, the two have to make it through the night, avoiding the animatronics, who seem to get restless in the night...
1. New Meat

Shrignold flicked through the newspaper that morning with a bored expression on his face. His roommate, Paige, was just getting out of bed to make herself breakfast, which was nothing special. Just some bland cereal and orange juice, which she almost poured into her cereal by mistake.

"Is there anything that one of us could get for a job to at least get us by?" He was going through a second time to see if there was anything he missed. "I know you work better at night, but of course, nothing's open that night except that McDonald's you refuse to work at."

"I can't handle people at twenty-four seven drive-throughs," Paige stated bluntly, while plopping down across their cheap card table from him. "They're either too tired, too loud, drunk of their asses, or just insane."

Shrignold chuckled as he flicked to the next page, and his eyebrows raised.

"…How hard would a nightguard job be for five days a week?"

Paige's eyes shifted up.

"They're looking for two people, as well!" He seemed excited. "This could get us through while we look for something better…"

Paige nodded and her tiredness seemed to exit her body faster than Shrignold could get out of his chair to get out of his pajamas.

"We'll go today, they're looking for people and let's not miss this job!" He danced around the kitchen before running into his room, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

Paige and Shrignold entered the place with some hesitation. To be greeted with a bunch of smiling kids who were running around with party hats or tokens in hand… This place was innocent as innocent could be. It was an easy job. Who would even want to rob this place? A parent desperate for more tokens so they wouldn't have to pay tomorrow?

"Are you the two who called?" Shrignold turned to the creaking of a wheelchair, and pulled Paige's sleeve to get her to turn as well.

"Hello there kids! Welcome to Manny's Myrtle's, the only place for family fun!" His smile suddenly faded. "It's also rather… how do I word this…" The man turned to look away, while Paige and Shrignold merely traded glances.

"Anyway!" The man suddenly got right back into it, his peppy smile and attitude back. "My name is Tony, and I'm the day guard here. Nothing much happens during the day, of course, save for a couple of broken animatronics. Kids these days…" There's a chuckle as he pulls back, motioning for them to come along with him.

Paige nearly screams when she sees metal bodies walking around. A bright yellow human-esque person is dancing with little kids, a bird nearby is serving pizza, and a green rabbit is sitting on the stage playing a drum with other kids who were dancing around with grins on their faces.

All eyes suddenly shift towards them, while their bodies continued interacting with the kids. Paige felt a chill ride up her spine. Shrignold grimaced at them before they turned away.

"Excuse them," Tony said as he gestured for them to come away. "They've been acting rather strange lately…" He led them away from the excitement through the party rooms and past other rooms, such as a large game room where Shrignold couldn't help but peeking in and hearing a bright "Hello!" as someone… or thing… greeted people and kids skipped by with jiggling tokens.

"Here's your office," Tony said, wheeling through the doorway. Shrignold saw that Paige was distracted by the whole place, including being bothered by the fact that there were no doors present. Clearly, she saw something off about it. Shrignold, on the other hand, seemed not sense that anything was actually off about the place, save for those animatronics that were around. But they would be shut off in the night, nothing could bother them at all!

Inside the office, there was a desk, a tablet sitting nearby that had different buttons for cameras, two vents on both sides that, Tony showed, lit up, and then a chair, fan, drawings… all the little things about an office that made it a bit more personal.

"I hung those up, by the way." Tony leaned forward and sighing, staring up at his favorite one. "There's one with Manny, and then one with Robyn. And then there's me, in the wheelchair. Kids love me for this old rickety thing. I don't know what makes a person in a wheelchair more appealing."

"Perhaps it's the fact that you are closer to their level?" Paige tilted her head, while Shrignold went to click the lights in the vent on and off.

"So… how do we defend ourselves from anyone?"

"Well, see, you don't exactly defend yourself from anybody…" Tony picked up a huge flashlight, held it out to the wide hallway before them, and flickered it on and off.

"This thing should, in theory, last you your six hour shift. But the battery could run out, and well, I think they're stored somewhere else in the building, so I wouldn't recommend going out to get one… Just my recommendation." Tony placed it back down again, and wheeled to the tablet.  
"Here's your cameras. Just watch the rooms, keep an eye on everything." He held it out to Paige, who was closer as Shrignold tested if he could lift the heavy flashlight. Taking it, she flicked it on and saw all the rooms and how the cameras shifted. It certainly seemed like a very happy place to kids, but a dull place to any robber. Unless you wanted to steal the animatronics, there was nothing to steal.

"Shrignold, we better get some sleep before tonight's shift."

"Oh, starting already? Sounds like you two are certainly desperate for any job…" Tony trailed off again, something that Shrignold noted. _There's something strange_, he thought to himself.

* * *

Back at the apartment, Shrignold collapsed into the bed and found himself unable to sleep at all. Paige was as well, and finally went to Shirgnold's room and fell into his bed next to him. It cramped the available bed space by a ton, but Shrignold wasn't complaining.

"I can't sleep, Shrignold. That place unnerved me. I keep going back to that moment when every animatronic stared at us. They were dead. They can't be completely programmed. They're alive, I can feel it."

"Inanimate objects can't be alive, Paige." Shrignold turned on his side and leaned against his arm.

"No, they have to be!" Paige wrung her hands in the air, but then slammed them down on either side of her body, but then gave a huge sigh and laced her hands together over her stomach. "Shrignold, let's do this. One night. I've got to see if I can handle this job."

"…Do you want me to calm you down? Do you want to sleep here?"

"…Let me sleep here. But don't you _dare_ try anything. I just need company. I don't need kisses or sex." She wasted no time being blunt, and turned over to sleep. Shrignold nodded, having not even considered doing anything without her consent first, and sex? Too many steps, too fast, and too far.

He turned over as well and fell into a light sleep.

Later, Shrignold woke up to Paige getting out of bed at 10:45 PM. He had no idea he needed that much sleep, and wondered if Paige had slept all right as well.

"Shrignold, buddy, wake up!" Paige seemed suddenly way more confident, but Shrignold wondered if that was just a façade to disguise her want to stay far away from that place.

"All right, I'm awake, I'm awake and groggy." Pulling himself up, Shrignold went and pulled out a somewhat nicer shirt, but found he had no dress pants. Pulling on cargo shorts, he saw Paige come out of the bathroom with her own casual wear, and a hat. She spun it around her finger before sliding it onto her head.  
"Night watch hat I stole from a hook in the office. Clearly, they only think one person's gonna be there."

"Hm." Shrignold sighed as he took the car keys and threw them to Paige as he also got his coat.

"Let's go."

* * *

"Welcome, thought you might not come. The animatronics are where they're supposed to be, and the tablet's turned on, flashlight batteries replaced, and lights working." Tony was there with a key outside the back door that led directly into the guard office, and nodded to them. "I'll be back at six o'clock to take over and make sure you haven't… _fallen asleep._" He chuckled a little darkly, and then slammed his leg. "Damn these bloody things!"

Paige and Shrignold were suddenly very glad that he wouldn't be the office with them.

"I'll call you in about ten minutes when I get home to give you further instructions; no time for it now here. Have fun now, kids." He led them in, then shut the door behind them, locking it.

"Kids… be safe in there. I lost Laura, that lovely lady."

Inside, Paige and Shrignold heard a ringing clock after about ten minutes had passed. Twelve gongs rang out through the halls, and then, a clang. Dull, and almost inaudible, but still there and present.

Paige instantly grabbed the tablet, and Shrignold, the flashlight.

"... All seems fine," she stated bluntly, but her hands told otherwise. "There's a back room, you know, with older animatronics."  
"Was there anything in the entrance hall, by the way?"  
"Yeah, some sort of unicorn thing. With a bunch of balloons."

"Ughh. It talks too, you know."

"Mhm. Augh!" Paige had discovered the light control she had as well and used it on the room that stated it to be called "Kid's Cove."

"There's a mangled mess of parts in there."

Suddenly, in the dead silence that followed, she screamed again, as did Shrignold, when the phone started ringing.

Neither of them moved to answer it right away, but finally, on the third ring, Paige, sitting at the desk, picked it up with a shaking hand.

"H… hello?"

"Hello, hello!" Tony's voice rang through rather loudly, and Paige noticed that he had turned the volume all the way up. "Can you both hear me? I sure hope so, but it's the first night, you shouldn't need much. Let me give complimentary introductions, but first, about this fun time here… Check that camera. I'll assume Greenie's gone by now. I'll give you a few moments. Greenie's that bunny thing."

Paige quickly looked to Shrignold, and he paled as well. She flipped the screen to the main stage, where she knew she had seen Greenie only moments before. He was gone.

Shifting around as fast as she could, and lighting the rooms, she finally saw him. Bongo drum in hand, he was there in the dining area.

She screamed, and you could hear Tony's reel back in his voice.

"Wooah! Tone down your screeches, or they'll _hear you._" His voice bowed to whisper, and Paige covered her mouth.

"Paige?"

"…Shrignold. _They're alive._"


	2. Calling

"_What?_" Shrignold was instantly at her side, looking at the bunny who stared up at them from the screen, obviously aware that they were present in that security room.

"All right, now that you've seen this strange occurrence, let's begin introductions. Greenie won't get here for a little while. Welcome to your job at Manny Myrtle's, and anything you've ever heard about this place, be it from your childhood or whatever, ignore everything. These new animatronics are very expensive, worth way too much. Damned things have super strength, can't be damaged with a punch. Believe me, I've tried. Grips as tight as iron."

Paige and Shrignold exchanged glances, and he quickly clicked on the vent lights while a clang told them something was moving again. Paige began to nervously checked cameras, Greenie the only one who moved, and even he hadn't left his dining area.

"All right, so, why these animatronics are so expensive, and why you can't damage these things. They can move like crazy. Faster, quieter, and far more nimble. Facial recognition. And get this. They're attached to a criminal database. Here's hoping you have no criminal records."

Paige shivered, and she and Shrignold exchanged glances. Neither had any sort of record, but they were both still wondering if either had something in the past.

"Heck, these things should be paid to guard you, but a fat load of crap that is when they're severely against you. I worked here before you, and I had a couple… issues with the animatronics. Which resulted in this damn wheelchair! So much time is now wasted because of all this new "being handicapped" business!"

Paige checked the cameras again, and saw now that there was a Prize center. And there was a little meter half down.

"Sir, Tony, please. The prize area. What is this meter?"

"… Ah! That thing. That accursed thing. See, the animatronics will, at night, try to get into the office. Engineers didn't give these things a proper night mode, so when it goes quiet, they try to find sound. Office has lights, and you two, you might not notice, but the little movements you have make a lot of sound. So, here, that meter, see the dial on your screen? There's a music box to lull off any animatronics. Wind it up remotely, and while it doesn't affect them all, it affects… one." He started coughing violently, and Paige heard gulping of some sort of drink, while Shrignold reacted to the sound of a metal bump by turning on the flashlight, and in switching cameras, Paige saw that Bonnie was now in the camera's face. She jumped, but was trying to not scream.

"For the rest of those batshit crazy metal bots, we've got an even better solution, and that kiddo who's doing lights is better suited for the job. These _things_ take you to be a metal endoskeleton without a suit, because you haven't got this giant head. You're also an adult, which makes you worse than a kid. Make sure you're hitting this big red button. Should be right near where I left it by the flashlight. Hit that thing, and sound reacts back at the stage area. It's the sound of laughing kids, screaming and running around. Any animatronics that get into your office, somehow, hit that button. Then be as still as you can be. They'll think you're broken because you aren't moving, then. But they have to be in your office, because anywhere else, it echoes, and the animatronics will not react. I've figured this out the very difficult way. They'll go away from you, and back to the stage."

Shrignold held up the button, and Paige saw the sweat that practically coated his hand.

"Don't worry about the power in this place going out, and also, don't bother searching for batteries if that flashlight runs out. To summarize, kids, lights on the vents, check 'em, hit that red button for sounds, and keep that music box going. Have a good night, and I'm sure I'll see you tomorrow!"

The click showed a dead lifeline, and when Paige hung up the phone, she saw a "Tony" followed by a phone number taped to the top of the phone. A lifeline!

However, the next set of clangs came through the ventilation. Paige and Shrignold nervously looked aside, and Paige checked cameras and Shrignold, the lights.

"Nothing on my end." Shrignold settled into the chair in front of the desk in relief, and Paige finally found the source of the sound.

Greenie was in front of the vent, crouching beside with an arm in. The bongo lay abandoned nearby.

Suddenly, a caution light began blinking. Paige realized it was referring to the music box. Winding it up, she decided to check other rooms as Greenie had moved to pick up his drum.

"Shrig… Hey, there's something I gotta ask."

Shrignold turned his head to look at Paige, his hands sweating more than he could have imagined. He was happy to see that tiny fan there, and clicked it on, making sure it was at it's lowest setting. Less noise.

"Do you think we're gonna live?"

Shrignold gave his biggest smile, but it was shaking from the fear.

The fear of losing his best and only friend.

He loved her. In almost every way that a person could love. And he knew she didn't easily give the same feelings. Or maybe not easily. It just took her time for her to get to know people.

"I'd like to get through college, Shrig. I'd love to work as an art teacher, and…!"

"Paige!"

He stood up, hands on the desk as he stood before her. "We'll get through this. Promise!"

Paige was almost crying, but Shrignold's confident look that he was clearly trying to put on for both of them made her feel a little less scared.

Her best friend was there for her.

* * *

Hours passed, until about three o'clock. The clangs had scared them enough, but Greenie had mostly been playing around with them, clanging both vents to scare them. Paige swore a couple times when she forgot to wind back the music box, and once, when she checked what was actually there when she forgot to wind the box, she nearly had a heart attack.

"There's a frightening caterpillar there. It cracks out of an egg, like a bird's egg!"

"…Paige, caterpillars don't come out of eggs for birds. They come out of little circles."

"Not this one, Shrig. This one is freaky as all hell, and comes out of an egg."

"Don't you dare let that thing out. It's going to kill us, too. If it needs to be kept under music box watch, then…"

"I don't want to hear a thing about it."

Suddenly, Shrignold hear clang, far louder than any one that they had heard before. The right vent.

He clicked the light, and saw nothing.

"…Paige. The right vent camera."

"…_Oh…_ Oh my God… Shrig, he's in the vent, the vent! He's coming!"

They were almost ready to scream, and suddenly, there he was, the light flickered on by Shrignold, and the vibrant eyes looked up at them.

He grabbed the button, and was ready. Paige went rigid out of fear. She didn't dare blink.

Shrignold fell to the floor, acting limp. Right when he heard the metal feet dragging in the office, he hit the button and stared into space, trying to not blink.

A moment later, there was laughter, from deep inside the building. It was childish, exciting. The sound of the music they had heard from the drums was present as well.

The metal shuffled back down the vent, and Paige finally brought up the courage to move again when she saw the caution sign blinking again.

Checking his watch, Shrignold saw that they hadn't moved for a good while, and was surprised that in that time, nothing came to kill them. Checking vents and the hallway in front of them, he sighed his soul out when he realized that nothing was there.

"This is hell," Paige said. "We've entered and we can't get out until it's over. When did we die, Shrig? When did we die? Did the car crash on our way here? Should we have been laughing about this job while throwing snacks and checking the camera to make sure no living, breathing, _humans_ were moving?"

The clock slowly slid to about 3:30 AM. Shrignold was counting the seconds, hoping that Tony could please, for the love of God, and all of His creations that he cared about, they would make it out alive.

Paige left him in silence to pray and took over light duty, while he took out ten more minutes with what had to be a record in his prayers.

3:45 AM. Another clang was heard. Paige saw Greenie in the camera again, still jumped, still scared every second she saw his eyes, unmoving, unnerving.

Suddenly, Paige noticed something about the back room. These old animatronics… there was a Manny head staring back at her. She flicked back to the stage, where soulless shiny Manny was staring at her, and back to the room.

…They were both there.

Two Mannys. The one on the stage had short hair and a huge smile. All she could see of the other were it's eyes, but there was clearly far more hair and a scratch on the forehead.

The two sat in what had to be the longest two hours of their life. Greenie tried to enter the vent again, but was teasing them, it seemed as he crawled out of the vents again and started banging his drum in random places in the building.

Paige and Shrig had started talking to get their nerves out, as they had fifteen minutes. 5:45 AM.

Suddenly, there was a vicious cracking sound. Paige looked to the monitor, and saw the red caution sign. The music box!

Jumping for it, she wound up the music box, thinking the little she did would last them the night.

Thirteen minutes passed.

Two minutes left on the shift.

Paige's hands were sweating, near the back door that Tony was sure to enter. The monitor lay next to the telephone, Shrignold still had his flashlight ready, occasionally flicking it to make sure nothing was in that hallway.

Suddenly, Paige heard something, and Shrignold gripped the flashlight tighter.

It echoed down the hallway, pitched, but still haunting.  
"_Faather…_"

The crack they had heard moments before came again.

Paige screamed, sliding the chair right back to the desk.

The caution sign was gone.

The music box meter was depleted.

"…Shrignold."

"…Paige, no, Paige, not now, not now! There's two minutes left! Just two! Paige, come on!"

"I'm sorry, Shrignold!"

She started checking every camera. There had to be something.

Then she saw it, staring at them. From the Main Hall. She'd frozen it, thinking, just another minute. Thirty seconds, even. They'd done it, they'd have to win.

When the camera cut again, the word "father" being displayed in a haunting way, small, typewriter text.

It blinked back in almost instantly, but the caterpillar was gone.

Shrignold hit the flashlight when he saw Paige's face.

The caterpillar flew at them, bloody, a mess, eyes not even there anymore. The mouth was open, and Shrignold screamed, dropping the flashlight.

* * *

Just like that, it was over.

The clock chimed. Six hours. Six o'clock was here.

The door clicked open, and there was Tony, doing his best to wheel himself in. Paige and Shrignold did not register his presence, nor his need for help, as their eyes were fixated on the Caterpillar, looming before them, before the lights clicked out.

"… Can't see a damn thing, hang on…"

Finally, the duo turned to see a lighter clicking on, and Tony's illuminated face. In the next instant, the actual lights came on, and the lighter, out.

"…Shit, kids. That was far too close for anybody's liking. _Always_ keep an eye on that godforsaken music box. No ifs, ands, or buts. _Keep your damn on eye it._"

Shrignold collapsed to the ground in a heap, while Paige fell into her chair further than she thought she could sink.

"…I can't. We can't. Mister Tony, I'm sorry, this is an impossible job. One night! That's all we had. I can't take another."

"Stay an hour, I brought breakfast. Then you can chat with the engineer I called in. They're eager to talk to you about the animatronics and their recent behavior with you as new guards."

Paige sat up, dragging her hands down her face and removing her hair, trying to fix the hair that had been mushed down into nothing by sweat.

"Breakfast is here on my lap, as you see. Sit down, eat up. What a stressful night for you two. Just eat."

Shrignold pulled himself up from the floor, and opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off.

"No time for anything else. No more talking."


	3. Special Ones

Shrignold couldn't speak through the mouthful of food he was consuming. Paige knew he often overate when he was stressed, but this was more than she had ever seen. Finally, she pulled the bag away.

"Quit eating, Shrignold, you'll burst your guts right out."

He merely gave her a look and pulled the bag right back to take the last bagel and smother it with cream cheese.

Paige flung herself back in defeat against him, and shoved the last bite of her own bagel into her mouth as the front door opened. Tony's voice became booming and cheerful, greeting the patrons. There was also the bright "hello!" of the Balloon Buddy right by the front door. The carousel rang up in a merry tune, and the kids yells of excitement filled the hallway.

Eventually, Paige and Shrignold had relaxed after their tedious night, and Tony came to relive them of their office duties.

"All right, the creator of the animatronics is here. She's not exactly the original creator, per se, but made many of the new modifications to these current ones, such as that super strength and facial software and such. Amazing world we live in with this technology in 1989, huh?"

Paige nodded as she kicked herself up off the chair, and Shrignold hurried out behind them, trying to stuff the entire bagel into his mouth with one bite.

Tony led them to a lady with pink hair, holding a clipboard, which seemed to be getting ignored. Her eyes could not stop staring at Greenie on stage, and Manny sitting at a table to talk with kids about chasing their dreams. Although at mentioning chasing, he seemed to glitch out with an awkward head turn. This finally seemed to get her out of her trance and write something on the clipboard. Tony took this chance to wheel himself behind her and tap her shoulder.

"Mireille. These are those two night guards that I mentioned yesterday. Paige and Shrignold, meet Mireille. Mireille, meet Paige and Shrignold, Manny Myrtle's Security Team."

"Pleasure pleasure pleasure!" She tucked the clipboard under her arm and shook both their hands in a tight squeeze. Paige noticed the sapphire heart necklace she was wearing, and thought it was rather pretty.

"I was wondering when they would find someone to replace poor Tony, I mean, after that incident… I still haven't found that flaw you speak of in programming by the way, Tony, and you still know that I cannot stay the night, ever. My sleep is necessary, or my husband will be the worst grouch because I'm the worser grouch." She gave a full, hearty laugh, and turned back with a spread arm to the animatronics. "If you haven't heard already, Paige and Shrignold, these are the pride and joy of my work. Greenie, that bunny, came first. Then Manny, and lastly, Robyn. Greenie was such a trouble to build, but once I got through the entire ordeal, well, the others fell right on to build themselves!"

Shrignold was trying to put together why she, of all people, was so dedicated to building these animatronics. People didn't often build murderous animatronics, right? However, to build sentient animatronics alone was still an amazing feat. She probably had gotten a lot of money from the deal and was living very comfortably.

"How's my Special One doing, by the way? Has Laura taught you how to repair her yet?"

Tony paused at the name, then suddenly backed up and wheeled away from the crew, who watched curiously as he left. After the pause, Mireille snapped her fingers, recalling the thought. "That's right, that's right! Laura quit a while ago! Nobody knows how to do it, now… I'll have to teach you at some point, I suppose. Did you know she was originally the most beautiful mermaid here? They scrapped that old damned Harry the Hairy Pirate thing a while ago, but I'm sure it's in that back room somewhere. That's where I got the basis for these current animatronics. But those ones in the back are completely outdated, old, and useless, really. They shouldn't move at all. I remember them, however."

Her voice suddenly got quiet, and Paige believed she was debating if whether or not she should tell them very important information.

"…See, there used to be a Manny's a long time ago. Too long, even. I never remember who made the original animatronics, I just studied their inner workings extensively. But no matter what you do, they still come to, well, _life._ My mermaid, my beautiful mermaid, meant to be Manny's other half, his girlfriend, even, if that trope got going… She's the one you all now call "Mangle", due to her state of being that ruddy meddling _kids!_ Turned her into…" Her voice trailed off, and Shrignold stroked her pink hair in an attempt to soothe her. Paige noticed that she was holding tight to that sapphire necklace that she was admiring earlier.

"… Scraps of metal that cling to ceilings. I had to trap them somewhere. They were hiding out in a garage in a dumpster while I built the others away, but when they attacked a garbage man who wasn't aware of the leaving at night policy, I realized I had to put them into a new home. I threw the old animatronics in the back, and the new Toy ones have had the same fate. I'm sorry, you're needed here. We _need_ you here. You kids are our only hope that they don't leave and kill again. I'll try my hardest to keep searching for a way to turn them off without rusting their joints or turning them off. I promise. But please. Please."

* * *

Paige clutched the wheel a little tighter than probably necessary on the way home. Shrignold didn't really want to say anything, not even turn on the radio, something they almost always did to jam out and sing along with the tunes.

But not today. Today was a much more tense day than that.

After near-death experiences, horror on the new job, a cryptic bipolar wheelchair bound day guard, a mysterious engineer with strange connections to the animatronics…

"There's something awful going on in that place, Shrig, and I don't like it one bit." Her voice was icy, but Shrignold was strangely happy to hear it.

"Let's go through our facts. We've got a few people to look at right? First, those creepy-ass animatronics. Then, we've also got that weirdo day guard to be on look out for, but I know he probably won't hurt us at all. Then we've got this new chick, someone who clearly knows more than she's letting on. Lastly, we've got a manager we haven't met yet."

"We'll focus on sorting this out. But I got a question. The manager? Why them?"

"Well, shit, I don't know Shrig, there's only murderous animatronics interacting with kids in his establishment, apparently _two _before this one, there was a murder at a dumpster lot that's obviously been swept under the rug… What the hell is going on in that place?"

"Let's focus on easier problems first, Paige. Firstly, Tony. He seems to know quite a bit more than we know. He's got his wits about the place, and I think he's the eavesdropping type."

"I'm sure he is. Heartless man, too, not coming in until the stroke of six." Paige gave a sarcastic snort, if that was something even possible to do. "We could have died. Mr. Creepy Caterpillar there…"

"Probably chokes you with his strings-"

"All right, all right, shut up! Back on topic to Tony. He clearly got something messed up with his legs, probably there."

"Do… do you think the animatronics got him?" Shrignold almost didn't want to keep going with that thought, but in the following silence, it forced them both to consider the possibility as they trudged to their apartment, and Paige collapsed at the table. Defeat and laziness was her stress fixer, while Shrignold's was eating and keeping busy. Sighing, Paige listened as he worked out the details of a new recipe to keep himself whistling and humming, and wondered what it could be this time, that he was making.

Falling asleep to his gentle humming of "Hey There Delilah", her dreams were riddled with the face of Greenie, Tony being pulled away by a faceless monster and then choked by the strings of the caterpillar, and Shrignold and her, cowering in fear from an unknown monster, something they had yet to encounter in the depths of that pizzeria…

* * *

"Paige… Paige! Wake up, you've slept two hours away and you don't want to not be able to fall asleep later! PAIGE!"

"Augh!" Paige woke up and quickly found that in her tossing and turning, found her way to the edge of the sofa. Hitting the coffee table as well, her sketch pads and notebooks were flying through the air as well, landing on top of her, the sofa, and back onto the floor.

"Well, that's one way to clear the coffee table." Shrignold chuckled, and Paige debated for a moment telling Shrignold about her dreams, about her fears, and worries of the place, but instead, accepted some interesting mixture of beef and other ingredients she couldn't care less to ask about, because it was delicious nonetheless.

"So," Shrignold stated after a few minutes with a mouthful of the food, "… Tony was probably gotten by those animatronics, which means that there is time if they catch us. They might not get us right away, which means we can technically kill time at the end if we don't use the button or drop limp."  
"Yes, but, who wants to risk killing time like that? If we kill time, something will kill _us._ And neither of us have a death wish, last I checked."

"Okay, so, Tony's dragged off, makes his legs useless, and we're hired. That inventor also knows some things. I think she's been around the company longer than she seems. Which means she looks great for her age."

Paige instantly shook her head. "Nah, she's younger than you're assuming her to be. She wasn't treating it like a job, more like a passion."

"A passion?"

"A childish one, at that."

"It's been around this long? This franchise, these animatronics? Are you serious? Holy shit, Paige."

"I mean, we can ask tomorrow, see if we hear anything. For now, though, I suggest a movie, something distracting, then sleep. It's going to be a unique sleep schedule to adjust to."

"Indeed, that's true."

* * *

"Welcome back, kids."

With much reluctance, Shrignold and Paige arrived at their nightguard job again. They knew the ropes this time. Nothing could be hard, anymore. The tricks would be better, nothing could attack them now.

"Push the button, check the camera, and wind that music box. Don't let each other down." Tony nodded and this time, Paige and Shrignold did not watch him drive away. Rather, they just went in, sat down, and waited for the bells to toll at 12 AM.

Some time later, after still nothing had moved, the phone rang.

It didn't scare Paige out of her wits this time, and she picked it up calmly, as Shrignold flickered the flashlight on and off to check the long hallway before them.

"Hello?" Her voice was even calm, Shrignold noted, which was the opposite of how he felt, the tension inside him building up into a mess of tangled worries and fears of death.

"_Hello, hello? Good to hear you're both still alive!"_

"You left us only minutes ago."

"_And you've got hours left to go. All right, I'm sure Mireille mentioned the older animatronics to you-"_

"And their murderous natures."

"…_Yes, well."_

"Tell us. You wouldn't call to check at 12 AM's part. At least you'd call at four."

"_I'll be asleep then."_

"And we could be dead."

"_Touché. Well, those older models in the back room are from the previous locations we've had in the past, and while Mireille tried to repair them, but it became apparent that we needed some newer, shinier friends in Manny Myrtle's. She even started them on the newer technology, but they were just so awful and ugly, with the most awful smell. Awful… awful stinking scent that I couldn't wash off my body for days on end."_

Shrignold looked right at Paige when he heard that. Their fears were confirmed. These things would take them, and kill them if they had the chance.

"_The kids laughing trick works on them, though, don't you worry a mite about it, Shrignold. But there's just one guy you must be solely responsible for, or you're both dead."_

"Can we not see it on a camera?" Shrignold leaned back and said into the telephone before leaning forward again and checking the hallway. Still nothing. Paige, on the other hand, was mindlessly flicking through cameras.

"_Harry the Pirate. He's kind of like this squid-headed monster thing. Meant to frighten kids a little bit, I think, and it did it's job. I believe the red color was a fashion statement at the time, but now I just relate it to all the blood that must be on these animatronics at this point…"_ His voice drifted off, and Paige looked through the cameras again, clearly worried now. Shrignold checked vents and took a sudden sense of responsibility for the hallway, knowing that both he and Paige played major roles in each other's safety. Trust.

"_He'll activate, for some weird reason. And he isn't affected by the kid's laughter, no matter how hard you try. If he does come to life, which I don't think he will… flash that flashlight a few times down the hall, kid. Give it a good flicker. Those older models haven't got those updated eye thingamajigs, so they'll be disoriented by the lights, and reset to start at the backroom. In fact, Paige, try it with any of them in any of the party room. You've got your own set of lights, as I'm sure you know…_

"_And the music box. Don't forget the damn music box. That puppet has ears, and a mind of it's own. Don't. Forget. It._

"_See you tomorrow."_

The phone line clicked, and they settled themselves into their positions.

12:24 AM.

It was going to be a long night.


	4. In The Cloak Of Darkness

The clock seemed to go by a little faster, but Paige noticed that the animatronics were a little more active that night. The Toy ones were moving around a lot more, and once, when she clicked on the Show Stage, Freddy was looking right at the camera.

Shrignold had also seen something at the end of the hall, but could not distinguish what it was before he flashed the light again and it was gone.

While winding up the music box, to make sure that the Caterpillar did not attack them again, Shrignold thought he heard something shifting around in the vents.

"…Did you hear that?"

"…I heard that."

Paige checked both the vents that she could see, but saw nothing, and then saw nothing at either vent entrance. So whatever was prowling around… was either super fast, or dancing in the space between the entrance and the camera.

And nothing was in the immediate entrance, as Shrignold's lights confirmed.

It was almost boring… until Paige checked the back room and bothered to click the light on.

That purple frog animatronic that was without a face was gone.

"Shit! Shrignold, get the flashlight ready, and the button, we have an emergency that I don't think we want to deal with!"

"What?!" His attempt at a whisper came out harsh and rushed, as he clutched the button in his grip, flicking the flashlight a few times to see down the hallway. Nothing in sight still.

"That purple frog thing? I think? I only think it was because it had webby feet and toes, and a vest… anyway! It's out of the room, and _I can't find him_."

"Check the main hall…? That seemed to be a local hangout for a few, you said. Even the caterpillar paused there to check you out."

"Ew, you make it sound like that thing was trying to get me on a date with it. No way, José." At the talk of the caterpillar, she wound up the music box as full as she possibly could, and checked the main hall.

With a soft scream from Paige, Shrignold confirmed what he had assumed was correct.

"The Frog is looking up at us."

"Call him Froggie. With "Greenie" as the Green Rabbit, I'm sure he's called something just as simple.

"Froggie, then. Faceless bastard is in the Main Hall, like you said.

Finally, all the animatronics had left the stage, and Paige found them all on her cameras. Greenie was in the dining room, Robyn in Party Room 4, and Shiny Manny (as she had come to calling the counterpart) in the Game Area, behind the Balloon Buddy unicorn.

That other Dull Manny was sitting in the backroom, still lying and staring up at the camera.

Nothing moved, however, for about thirty minutes. It kept both Paige and Shrignold on an edge.

But then, Shrignold turned on the flashlight.

And saw a monster that he could only describe as a squid-man staring at him from the other head of the hallway, eyes glowing and hook raised.

He couldn't help but yell then cover his mouth out of concern. Naturally, Paige's head snapped to attention.

"Turn on the light, let me see!"

He flicked it on again, and there was Harry.  
"He's closer!" Shrignold was doing his best to give quiet, but dire, screams.

"Flicker the light you idiot, flicker!"

He did as ordered, rapidly turning the light on and off in an attempt to make Harry go away.

For about five minutes, he did that, and finally, the last time he turned it on, he was gone.

"I checked vents for you a couple times, still nothing. Nothing except that blasted monster has moved, and I'm glad you bothered to check, Shrig."

"Thank you," he said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"So, that's apparently Mangle's counterpart, that mess of parts that we always see in Kid's Cove. Interesting and good to know."

"Yeah, great to know, even." His tone was sarcastic. "One more thing that can kill us in the night."

"We've got the rhythm down, and the button's on the desk, just pick it up again, now that we're done scaring off monsters with flashlights.

More time still passed. Greenie had hit vents along with Robyn, but neither actually entered rather than just them banging on the vents to scare them out of their wits.

"I hate this place, I hate this place," Shrignold couldn't help but mumbling after a little past 3:30 AM. "This is the worst place I've ever had to go to and I hate every minute of it."

Finally, they heard clanging in the vents. Paige checked. Greenie wasn't near or in the right vent. Robyn wasn't outside of the left vent.

Then she clicked and turned on the light in the left vent camera. And what she saw had to be the most terrifying thing they had ever seen.

Froggie.

"It has really no face," she said, her nerves of shock so dulled at this point that nothing was fazing her now. "Just parts visible to the whole world. The face has been completely ripped off, and it can still function. It's amazing.

Then the camera cut, and they heard a voice.

"I've looooooooooooo….."_ kzzz_ "… glasses! Can you help find my glasses, kids?"

Paige felt herself break into a sweat, and Shrignold gripped the button.

As in on cue, when he hit the vent light, and saw him about to reach out, they collapsed into their respective places, finger right on the button and tucked to his chest for Shrignold. The lights cut in the office, and for a moment, Paige stopped breathing. The dark. Nothing could cut through it.

Then, they came back on, and Froggie was floating above the desk, staring down at her, without any eyes.

"Can you help me find my glassesssssss… or can I kiiiiiiiiiiii….lll…."

Laughter.

Paige wanted to sigh with relief, but that didn't happen. She had to stay still. Froggie's head cracked to one side, briefly, but then, as the lights flickered out again, she knew he was gone.

And instantly, as soon as the lights were back on, Shrignold was up and clicking the flashlight down the hallway, and checking vents.

"Nothing," he confirmed, as Paige could barely make her sweaty and shaking fingers grip the music box dial to wind it up. Was it going down faster than yesterday? It sure felt like it was.

The rest of the night went on rather uneventful. 6 o'clock came, and they breathed a huge sigh of relief when the clock went off and the door behind them opened.

"Help me again, kids? Bagels on the lap and man in a wheelchair."

"Food!" Shrignold was instantly moving to help Tony, and Paige merely just checked the cameras one last time.

She swore that, for a moment, Froggie was looking up at her from the back room, but by the time she looked again, he was in the position that he had started their shift in.

"Paige? He got chocolate chip today."

Shrignold's vice brought her back to her senses, and she shook her head and looked around, seeing that Tony had left and a huge paper bag had been plopped in front of them again.

God, she was starving.


	5. Trust

"Hello, you two!" Mireille said in a joyfully excited voice as she walked in with two cups of steaming coffee. Shrignold turned his down, but Paige gladly took it while handing Mireille a bagel as she sat down cross-legged on top of the desk.

"So what happened last night?" she asked them, instantly curious as to their experiences with the animatronics.

"We met one of the older ones. He was looming above me. I wasn't aware you had programmed them to float." Paige bit into a bagel rather violently, and Shrignold continued.

"Nah, his feet were on the ground, he's just really tall compared to you. Scared the wits out of me, I tell you. But luckily, I was able to hit the button because I wasn't in Froggie's view."

"An older animatronic? And Froggie, of all people? I tore his face off to get into inner programming, which I was sure I'd tinkered with enough to make him never work again… A few accidentally pulled wires while seeing how he was put together, I'm afraid…" Mireille gave a nervous laugh while Paige leaned back and groaned.

"Nothing much else, just a terrifying night. Everything is on the edge. Everything is out to kill you."

"And we're both responsible for each other's life, because Paige has to watch them and I've got to make sure something doesn't come out of the vents or lunge down the hallway to kill us."

"That is the very meaning of trust, isn't it? You must have faith that the other will not let you down, under any circumstances. One of you gives up, you both die."

"We won't abandon each other!" Paige and Shrignold both yelled at the same time. Then they stared at each other, until Shrignold yelled "Jinx!" and knocked on the wooden desk. Paige stared laughing along with Mireille, which extended to Shrignold laughing as well.

Laughter was nice. Laughter was… calming.

"It's time to do some investigation!" Paige slammed the car door shut as she started walking up to the library.

Shrignold shifted and sat up suddenly, trying to register where they actually were. "Some what? Not sleep or eat more?"

"It is not a day for basic needs anymore. We need to figure out what's going on with this place. Let's do some research. There's bound to be something about this business, or their policies, which we gotta figure out." She pushed the door open and walked inside, Shrignold locking the car door behind him and dashing in to follow her.

"We'll check the microfiche reader, I don't know if there's anything I can use, but I'll see if this place has some past issues."

"I'll check recent newspapers, then? I feel like they've been hiding something from us lately. I dunno, just… something about that place."

They went their separate ways, and Paige sat down. She tried to think of what time that something could have occurred. How long ago would something have existed for Mireille to be there? She didn't even know how old she was. Deciding on 1960, she started to flip through newspapers from then. Nothing was striking, nothing hit her as she went back and forth through the files. Right as the print was starting to hurt her eyes, a headline on the front page caught her eye because of the double M's. Leaning back to blink and adjust, she leaned back forward again and read the text before her.  
"_Manuel Myrtie's Responsible for Child's Death_"

Instantly interested, she adjusted the lenses and read the smaller print.

"_Manuel Myrtie's is a place often associated with family fun and amusement. However, there was a death at the establishment yesterday afternoon – a young children was found dead outside the window at about 4:00 PM. Investigation yields his time of death to be around 3:30 PM. _

"_Interestingly enough, around this time, a child's birthday party was occurring, and at the time of 3:30, the Manuel Myrtie animatronic – the namesake attraction to the establishment – reported to begin to break and slow down. The young girl who the birthday party was being held for started crying when the animatronic stopped, which is why the witnesses remember the animatronic's pause so well._

"_The establishment is paying for the funeral, which will be held…"_

Paige felt her shoulder being tapped, and she turned to look at who was tapping.

Shrignold was there, holding a newspaper.

"Remember that name everyone keeps mentioning? We never hear a thing about her, but she's clearly got a hold on Tony and Mireille kinda can't remember who she was or is? I found her."

"W… who, Shrig? What was the name?"

"Laura!" He quickly flung the newspaper out before her and pointed at the article in reference.

Unlike the child's death Paige had just read, Laura's took a backseat article on a page that most people reading the newspaper don't often make it to or skip over.

"_Manny Myrtle's Linked to Strange Occurrence"_

"See, it says that this local girl had a job there, just like we did, as a night guard. But, but! She was found dead. There have been people who died before us. We don't know who this girl is, how she relates to the animatronics, but clearly she had some hold over most of these people in the place."

"Maybe she's the daughter of the manager we've heard so much about?"

"Keep reading, that's where it gets interesting."

Paige looked to him with a questioning look, as if she'd rather have him tell her.

"Well, go on!"

She rolled her eyes and turned to where Shrignold's finger was resting on the fine print.

"_Laura worked as a night guard at the family playtime establishment, Manny Myrtle's. Her co-worker, Tony Harrison, is currently in the hospital, and cannot be questioned at the moment, but we hear he is not going to be able to walk again after the attack."_

"Jesus Christ!" Paige hissed, holding the newspaper closer to her face to make sure she hadn't read it wrong. "Tony worked with her?"

"Paige… people have died, there. I don't want to go back."

"No, we're going back. We're going to interrogate Tony. We've got to find out what the hell is going on here."

"Welcome back, kiddos." As if they were entering for a stage cue, Tony swung around in his chair and placed the tablet on the desk. "What's wrong? You look like you've got a question."

"Must have been obvious on my face." Paige pulled the chair around to sit in front of Tony and sat backwards, resting her arms on the back of the chair. "Laura. Who is she? Why did she die?"  
"Kids, it's 11:51, I haven't got time to spare here…"

"_Now._"

He turned to the door, but Shrignold was standing in front of it, barring the exit. Tony resigned to his fate and hunched forward, staring right into Paige's harsh eyes.

"…Laura was one of the longest lasting night guard, alongside myself. We were… very good friends."

"Lovers."

Tony felt his face heat up. "I do wish you didn't put it quite like that. We were two strangers, who happened to sign up for the job position together. Instead of being silent for six hours, we talked and talked and talked. The animatronics were really less violent back a time ago. They just moved around, and we had to make sure they didn't leave the building.  
"We got too careless. One night, we were distracted. Making plans for something nicer to do. We had realized a violent increase in the animatronics behavior, but discarded it that night. We left things alone, just thinking we could talk. I checked cameras, she would flash down the hallway… but then it happened.  
"The older animatronics came to life. We had been the longest lasting crew there in ages. Others got careless or quit the job. We lasted so long, establishment was even considering raising our wages because we looked promising.

"We didn't notice them. Taking all the back ways, knowing all the ways… it wasn't until I was checking the cameras right before 6 struck that I saw the faceless Froggie in the vents… and Laura shined down the hallway to see Foxy, so close that if he had stepped another step, he'd be the office. They'd waited until the last possible moment to give us a false sense of hope, those bastards."

Paige twisted around in her chair, while Shrignold pulled his sleeve back to check his watch.

"I'm almost done, I have to leave. They'll know me. Then Chica, she came out of the vent and grabbed my legs. I was horrified. I started screaming, and Laura turned to see me and my legs being mauled by that awful bird. Then I saw Foxy lunge at her head, and I think my blood loss from my legs caused me to faint. I know the clock started ringing, however, but the Day Guard who came in moments later was too late to help Laura. I was barely saved. He heard the sounds from the door, but the key was stuck… and just… I woke up. To hear what had happened to Laura…"

Paige rested a hand on Tony's, and he finally got out of his trace and stared into Paige's eyes for a few moments.

"…Do I look like her or something?" She was momentarily creeped out before Tony pulled his hand away and shook his head.

"Absolutely nothing like her, actually. You two are very different. Besides, you already have a boyfriend, it seems." With that, he started rolling out as they protested behind him.

"Stay safe, I'll call you soon!" The door shut and locked, before Paige and Shrignold looked to each other with the sound of the bell coming a couple minutes later.

"What have we got tonight?" Paige took an official tone as she sat at the desk, holding the monitor to check the cameras quickly before giving the music box a good wind.

"A shit ton of animatronics out to kill us, and six long hours to make sure they don't."


	6. Noise

It was the third night they'd were working there, but it really felt like it had been so much longer since they started the job. Paige wasn't sure how much longer she could take the job, as well. There was so much left unanswered, and both of them were now completely intrigued in the mystery of the pizzeria and it's mysterious inhabitants.

"All right, we've got new information to sort out tonight."

"What do you mean, Shrig?" Paige looked up from the monitor where she had been staring right at Greenie's face, trying to figure out what made him work behind those shiny eyes and rosy cheeks, if he knew that Mireille had put him together.

"Well, Tony worked here with this Laura girl, right? I wonder if these animatronics have a concept of death. Do they want to kill us? And why the nightguards? There are so many kids and adults during the day, why not them?"

"Are you saying they have a… grudge against night guards?"

"Yeah, exactly!" He flickered the light almost absentmindedly now, registered that nothing was in the hallway, and flickered lights in the vents.

"Like, they're after us. We're bait. Maybe there's something in the bell when midnight rings. These guys would be fine on their own, honestly."

"Unless they fight each other."

"I doubt it. They work together. If they attacked each other then they would be fighting all over the place these past two nights."

"True, true."

There was a silence until the phone rang, and Paige instantly grabbed it and monitored cameras to make sure no animatronics had shifted due to the sound.

"Tony?"

"_Anything interesting happen yet?"_

"I've just been having a staring contest with Greenie over the monitor and we're discussing why the hell they decide to kill nightguards."

"_I'm afraid that's one thing I don't even know. I meant to ask this morning, did Harry appear in the hallway?"_

"Hell yeah he did. Scared the shit out of us too."

"_Well, I'm glad you warded him off, obviously. Gosh, that mermaid creature is scarer than him at times, but I've never liked him since, well-"_

"We get it. What's the lay-down for tonight?"

"_Um, well, I just wanted to know if you guys had heard any rumors lately. Other than Laura, I mean."_

"…Does 'Manuel Myrtie's' mean anything to you?"

"…_I could check."_

"That was a rather long silence on your part."

"_Does that automatically mean I know something?"_

"You people are determined to hide things from us."

"_You are night guards hired to protect the establishment and nothing more."_

"Are you sure? Sure seems like we're bait as well. And that if anything, we play one of the most important roles in the running of this establishment."

"_Ah, well. That is a way to look at it, yes. Hang in there, though, I'm sure you will, kids. Call me if you have any issues, and if not, see you at six."_

The phone clicked before Paige could even get a word in to say good-bye or ask another question.

"They really are hiding shit from us," she stated, slamming the phone onto the receiver before hearing a noise in the right vent and seeing that Greenie was banging his drumstick right on the inside.

"Jesus Christ." Flicking around, she saw that nobody else was active, but did notice that the music box bar was already one-fifth gone.

"This is certainly going down way faster, considering how short of a time it's been since our shift started."

"This place knows we've survived this long, and it's certainly beginning to challenge us more and more, huh?"

"I wish we had that easy-peasy time that Tony and Laura had. Imagine not having to worry this much about your fate every night that you can form a loving relationship."

"Are you saying two people can't form a loving relationship at the same time their lives are being threatened?"

"Shrig, I told you, I'm not interested. I'm sorry."

He checked the hallway and vent lights before turning back to look at her. "I know you're not. I just… I thought maybe the opinion had changed."  
"Opinions don't change that easily. People will still paint the way they do even after people criticize them for their unique style. People will still believe something even if their circumstances change. And people trapped in a room together for six hours a day who are also living together just don't _fall in love._ So maybe Tony and Laura were the exceptions. But that doesn't mean we'll be, too. Shrig, you're my best friend, and kinda my only friend right now. I haven't been able to meet many cool people because of lame-ass jobs we get, but I don't want to try anything right now. I'm not interested."

That awkward note lasted a couple hours. There was simply silence, save for multiple clangs in the vents, a few gasps from Paige when she saw one had moved, and Shrignold's mild swearing when he thought he saw some things down at the end of the hallway.

The next conversation didn't come until about 2:45.

"…Oh my God." Paige pushed away from the desk, holding the tablet as far away from herself as she could. "Oooh my God."

She pulled herself back to the desk and grabbed the telephone, quick to dial the number on the back. She had to make sure she wasn't going crazy.  
"What, Paige?" Checking lights before turning around, Shrignold looked at the monitor while Paige listened to the phone buzzing. His eyes widened too at what he saw, and Paige's shaken voice came next.  
"Tony, I know you're sleeping, I'm sorry, but I have to know: Does that Balloon Buddy _move?_" Her eyes glanced back at the monitor to see an empty room, Balloon Buddy nowhere in sight.

"_Ah, shit, I probably should have mentioned that. Yeah, he does. Doesn't attack, though, so he's pretty lame. There's nothing much he can do. Pops balloons sometimes, though."_

This time, it was Shrignold's turn to tense up.

"Pops balloons?" He threw the flashlight at Paige while taking the phone. She knew why and instantly went to temporarily taking both jobs while he was on the phone.

"_Yeah." _Tony's groggy voice was slow. _"It kinda will be in the vents, left one. Never the right, never the hallway. In fact, I'd check the vents for that unicorn right now. He's probably there. He pops balloons to scare you."_

"Sir, I don't believe I mentioned this, but I…. I can't…."

"_Can't what? Handle unicorns?"_ A chuckle. _"Did one kick you in your teeth when you were younger?"_

"Sir." Paige leaned back and interrupted. "He's got globophobia. Fear of balloons, or the popping thereof."

"…_Ah. Well, Godspeed and good night! I need to sleep before waking up at 5:30, don't call back."_

The click showed that they really were alone, that the landline wasn't even much use, and the fact that his last sentences were rushed and muddled also meant that he really didn't expect to be of any use.

Shrignold solemnly took the flashlight back, afraid of what could possibly happen now.

A few minutes later, they heard it.

"_Hello."_

They very nearly jumped out of their skin, and looked to the vent they'd heard the sound come out of. Turning on the light, Shrignold saw that there was nothing there.

"…It's in the vent." Paige confirmed Balloon Buddy's presence by seeing his orange unicorn face grinning at the cameras after she flashed the light inside the vent.

"I can't believe it. It's going to kill us."

"It won't kill us, remember?"

Suddenly, like a gunshot, a balloon popped. Neighing followed, as if the Balloon Buddy was laughing at them, and just as quickly as the chain of events had started, they stopped.

Paige looked to find Shrignold on the floor, curled into a fetal position. Grabbing the flashlight and positioning herself at a good vantage point on the desk, she took over for about thirty minutes until he recovered.

"Fucking music box" was the first thing Shrignold heard when he finally sat up and saw Paige sitting at the desk.

"What's wrong with it?" He slowly stood up, trying to recover his senses. He'd completely shut down at hearing the balloon, and saw Paige winding the little dial rapidly.

"That little thing is seriously screwing with us. I think the box is winding down faster. So I gotta keep a closer eye on it."

"Ah. I see."

He took the flashlight, and checked in the hallways. Nothing too major.

At about 5:00 AM, however, they had the shock of a lifetime.

Nothing too important was happening. They'd scared Harry out of the hallway a couple times, and seen Froggie searching around for his glasses, all while Greenie and Robyn banged around the vents.

But it was when they heard a certainly louder and more significant one that Paige finally gave the inside of the right vent a good look.

And what she came face to face with made her bite back a scream.

"What's wrong, Paige?"

"…Did you know there's also an old Robyn?"

"_No. _Are you serious right now?"

"Yeah, I'm serious. Thing's got three sets of teeth, too."

Then the lights flickered out. Shrignold grabbed the button and collapsed to the floor. Paige worked just as fast, flinging herself back into the chair in a dead position while the tablet was tossed onto the desk.

The lights flickered back on, and there was Robyn, in all his muddled, damaged green-feathered glory. It was almost painful to look at. But Paige wasn't making direct eye contact with him.

No, Robyn was staring at Shrignold. Which meant he'd see the movement when Shrignold went to push the button.

Oh Gods. Oh Gods they were so royally screwed right now. Paige felt herself beginning to sweat at the very thought of Tony coming in, finding hunks of their skin chewed out by those three sets of teeth, that they'd never see the daylight again…

A sound. A vent clang. The bird's head swung a full 180 to look back, and Shrignold took the brief window of chance.

The laughter came moments later, deep inside the building, as if the children were pouring in by the hundreds. Echoing off the walls, it even reached the animatronic's head, and they watched it shift down the hallway, lights flickering out again briefly before turning back on.

Shrignold sat up from the floor, letting out the largest breath Paige had ever heard him sigh.

"Save us…"

Shrignold entered into another prayer, and Paige let him as she flashed down the hallway to make sure nothing else was coming, and screwed up the music box completely.

Nothing else happened, and 6 AM came without much worry. Tony wheeled himself into the room with Paige gladly pulling the door open for him to enter.

"What happened tonight?" he asked while placing the bigger bag on the counter, his smaller bag being opened to reveal his own breakfast of a sandwich and apples.

"Robyn, that old creepy one, we met him… and Shrignold had the fright of his life."

"Sorry, I should've mentioned that freaky Balloon Buddy-Unicorn thing. I didn't think it might actually come alive, but I suppose that was wishful thinking. Look, Shrignold, I'm really sorry."

"It's honestly fine. Doesn't bother me too much."

"Eat up, then go home and sleep. You two deserve it, and look like you need it."


	7. Shadows

They mostly ate their breakfasts in silence, none of them really having anything important to say.

"…Have you got a picture of Laura? I noticed that locket you wear this morning when we were talking." Paige finally broke the silence with her question, and Tony nodded.

"Right here." He pulled the locket out from under his shirt, and clicked it open. Inside was a picture of a lady with raven hair and brilliant blue eyes. She was smiling, but a hand was blocking a little bit of the picture, as if she was trying to make him stop taking the photo.

"One of the few things that I still have of her, really." Tony closed the locket and slid it back under his shirt. "I miss her, dearly. She was really someone who took me as I was, when I had a couple mood swings, and wasn't frightened off when I got extremely loud and started yelling. I still think that today she would have accepted me for how I am, in this wheelchair."

"I would think so, too." Shrignold bothered to stop eating long enough to comment, and right then, Mireille stepped into the office, an urgent and worried look on her face.

"Tony." Tone sharp, she looked right at him, seeming to ignore both Paige and Shrignold. "You've got to come quickly."

Tony seemed to instantly know what was required, and wheeled right out. "Sorry kids, finish up eating, and go home. Get sleep. Don't come back until you need to tonight." Before either Paige or Shrignold could say a word, Tony and Mireille were gone.

Deciding to take the bag of bagels with them, Paige got into the car and started it up while Shrignold started gnawing at a blueberry cinnamon bagel.

"You seriously need to learn how to drive, Shrignold." Paige gave a laugh as he looked at her with stuffed cheeks and wide eyes.

"I do not want to learn how" was all she managed to make out through his stuffed mouth.

"Someday, we're going our separate ways, and I know for a fact you can't live off bike riding and public transportation forever."

"Watch me go."

They shared a good laugh, one that felt more uplifting than anything they had experienced in these past few days. But that didn't stop the weight of their job from pushing ever further on their shoulders.

* * *

About two hours after they got home, Paige took the phone when it started ringing while Shrignold came into the room from making lunch.

"Hello?"

Shrignold couldn't make out the other voice, but he saw Paige scribbling something down on one of her sketchbooks.

"Yes, yes we can! …Of course. …No, we're currently in another job now. … I believe our last day should be before Saturday. …Yes, thank you! We'll see you this Saturday." Paige hung up the phone and held the notebook up to Shrignold with glee, who had just come in from getting the paper, which was late that morning. "Look look look! We got that job at that new department store that's being built, as clerks!"

She hugged him briefly out of excitement before bouncing to the kitchen. "Gosh, I'm so excited! This is actually really great!"

Shrignold patted her back, but then held out the newspaper. " I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'd rather we take a relaxing day, to get our mind as far away from this world as possible. See another movie and throw popcorn off the balcony again."

"Why?" Paige took the newspaper, while saying, "Did you just get this now? It's rather late isn't…"

The front page had the last words they wanted to see.

"_Manny Myrtle's Murder_"

* * *

Paige finally brought the courage to read the article's details by the time they got home from the movies and a fast food dinner.

"This must be why the paper was late," Paige stated simply, flicking it open before laying it down in front of her to read the front page article.

"Maybe," Shrignold agreed, trying to not look at the front page, but was fully aware that Paige would probably read it aloud anyway.

"_Manny Myrtle's is a place for family fun, but overnight, it becomes a murder fest_."

"No shit."

"Shush! _A young child was found that morning by one of the workers, and neither her or the day guard wanted to give a comment on the incident. We will be approaching the night guards, who have not approached us with any details. It seems that their careless nature has made them incompetent for the job_!" Paige yelled the last sentence, now furious. Then it hit her.

"Wait, Shrig."

"What?"

"You did hear what I just read, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Shrignold, think for just one more second, please. Please. Think." Paige slowly repeated the important bits of the article.

"_Manny Myrtle's is a place for family fun, but overnight, it becomes a murder fest. … A young child was found that morning… night guards-_"

"Shiiiiiit! There's a fucking murderer in there while we're on guard duty? And they're able to survive and kill without us seeing them on the cameras or being caught by the characters?"

"I don't understand, I honestly thought that it couldn't get any worse, but this has most fucking certainly gotten worse."

"I don't want to go back, Paige. Can we take a night?"

"No, I know, I know you don't want to go back, and neither do I. But we have to. I don't why, but I feel like we have to. Nothing horrible is going to happen, because we went back. Imagine the ruckus, or Tony staying there instead. In his wheelchair? What can he do?"

"Mireille?"

"Don't be ridiculous, she wouldn't _dare_ stay a minute past with those animatronics."

"...Shoot."

"Come on, let's go, I think it's time we finally pry a full truth out of Tony and Mireille."

* * *

"We're sitting ducks in here, not only with murdering animatronics, but now a killer who can somehow avoid cameras and kill kids that seem to appear from fucking nowhere?" Paige was furiously yelling at Mireille and Tony, both of whom were unfazed by her attitude.

"There's so much we thought we could hide from you, but we didn't expect the newspapers to burst in moments after you left. They were coming to see the scandals of the animatronics for themselves, and instead came across the dead child. We were interviewed at length, and I think they're going to come for your house, soon. We vouched for you as best we could, but I see an arrest in your future." Mireille tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, then nervously began twisting it around her finger.

"An arrest? We didn't kill the kid, that bastard did!" Paige groaned, and Shrignold, already looking down the hallway in fear, felt like he was going to cry.

Tony wheeled over to him while Mireille and Paige got into a vicious shouting match over the sanity of them even remotely staying in the pizzeria tonight, and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"You're going to need to depend on each other, remember?"

"..." Shrignold shook his head, then started crying. "I can't bear it, I can't stay another night, please don't make me."

"Shrignold, you need to be strong." Tony smiled, then gestured to his legs with his other hand. "Otherwise, you might lose the people you love most, and yourself as well. I lost my legs, who knows what you could lose?"

Shrignold nodded rapidly, feeling the tears leak down his face in big drops.

"Now, take care of each other." Patting his shoulder before letting it go, Tony wheeled away, dragging Mireille out by her coat, Paige and her finally having resolved all differences.

With a grim face, Paige sat down at the desk, and Shrignold took the flashlight and button.

As the bell tolled, the pizzeria seemed to become darker, and the metal on tile was already heard.

_Ding._

_Ding._

_Ding._

_Ding..._


	8. Caution

Paige was checking cameras more than usual this time. She was checking everything, and knew now that every night, the music box wound down faster. It was not going to best either of them tonight. They would beat out every animatronic, whether they liked it or not.

And Paige was determined to find a killer. This was going to be their way of proving their innocence, to make sure that they did not get arrested for the murder of the child from the previous night.

Shrignold wiped away the last of his remaining tears so that he could see properly down the hallway and keep them both alive. Harry was already there.

"That guy's too fast. Dammit." Shrignold flicked the flashlight for about two minutes before he finally went away.

"I really hope this ends soon, I don't know how much more I can take. Don't you ever hope a place like this burns down and takes everybody with it?"  
"Hm, I would prefer the animatronics to spontaneously combust," Paige commented with a tone of bitterness. "And this killer, too. He better not be lurking here tonight, waiting to murder us. Maybe his suit will self-destruct and take him with it."

"What suit did he even take? None of these animatronics are big enough to fit him. Harry might, but he's not big enough."

"Any of those older animatronics?"

"Even those aren't empty enough. They've all got that wiring, remember? We've seen it themselves through Froggie's lack of face."

"Hm" was all that Shrignold replied.

* * *

They noticed that the animatronics were more aggressive. Shrignold could feel the flashlight running out of battery, but knew that it would last them. At least, that's what he was hoping. The clock only read 3:07 AM. Time was ticking by way too slowly for either of their liking, but that was what had to happen.

Paige also swore that for a brief moment on one of the cameras, she saw a mysterious endoskeleton that had no suit. Yet, there was nothing to prove it, as the second she clicked back to the Prize Area, it was gone. She swore by it's strangeness, and they had a brief argument over what suit it could have possibly belonged and where it was.

Suddenly, there was a slam in the hallway. Something was coming, and Shrignold couldn't quite see it yet.

Paige sat there, silently, and clicked on the main hall camera.

Staring right up at the camera was a moving, shoulders rising, breathing animatronic. It had scraggled hair, a large orange nose, and brown overalls with an "R" on them.

"Shit. Shit shit shit." Paige felt her willpower melting out of her. "What the _fuck is this_?"

* * *

Tony settled under the covers. Pulling his legs into bed was always the hardest part. Suddenly, he felt his own uselessness again, slamming his hands down onto the bedspread. There was no loud metal desk to slam against anymore. Just the comfort of his own bed. Sighing as he realized that he wasn't at that accursed place, Tony tried to calm down and think about Paige and Shrignold. How those kids were doing. They must have been fine, right? Maybe, maybe not.

Suddenly, he remembered the kid that had been found murdered that morning. Awful stuff. Then he remembered that the killer had hunted in the nighttime, probably looking for a place to leave the body where it would be seen. What did that mean for the two nightguards? Would they be hunted and killed just like the children?

He quickly grabbed at the phone on his bedside table, scrambling to dial the Myrtle Security number. But then he paused. What if they had animatronics staring down the hallway? Anything listening in? He found himself noticing that he really had come to care for these kids, despite the fact he hardly knew them. He made a mental note that, if they survived the night, instead of taking them breakfast the next day, he'd take them out for a good meal for lunch instead, and get to know them better, away from that godforsaken place. They were like his own kids at this point, the way he cared for them.

He found himself feeling far older than he desired to be, but wondered if they had any family to call their own. Any parents that would be concerned if they died?

It was a time when they were probably supposed to be going to school, but instead, they were probably trying to build up funds and gain some independence before heading off.

He couldn't find very good work in his own major, which kept him at his nightguard-turned-dayguard job. And the wheelchair destroyed all other options of many careers.

Settling back, he imagined Laura next to him, telling him that Shrignold and Paige would be all right.

Nothing could harm them horribly. And set your alarm, you've got to wake up for them at 5:30 AM.

* * *

Paige and Shrignold could only stare in abject horror at the creature at the end of the hallway. The animatronic, if you could call it that.

Paige had even come out from behind the desk to stare at the creature with Shrignold, who was keeping a consistent flashlight on it.

Then he started flicking it, hoping it would make the creature go away.

Instead, it just stood there, staring down the hallway at them. It wouldn't stop, and they were both becoming increasingly unsettled.

Children's laughter began to echo throughout the building, out of nowhere, bouncing off the walls. The creature spun wildly, trying to figure out the source of the sound, before running off out of sight.

Shrignold also noticed the battery light was dying. No! It was only 5:06! "Come on! You can't die on me yet!"

Paige grabbed the tablet again and wound up the music box to it's full extent. It had been almost out and flashing a caution sign as they were staring… too close for their liking.

* * *

In a high of fear, the two watched time click by slower and slower. The night was endless. 5:06 to 5:58 had seemed like forever. But as those last hundred and twenty seconds ticked on by, the two began to relax. It was all going to be over. There was everything to avoid.

Then, there was the scraping of metal on metal. And it was screechingly loud. Paige barely had time to switch to the vent cameras before Mangle scuttled out of her line of sight.

"The right vent light! The right vent light! SHRIG!"

But he reacted a few moments too late. The pink-haired monstrosity flew out at Paige's legs under the desk. She started screaming, and Shrignold could only stare frozen in fear.

"SHRIGNOLD! HELP! PLEASE!" Two metal parts clamped around her like arms, and she couldn't figure out if the Mangle had her by teeth, tail, other head…. all she knew was the vent was coming closer.

_"HELP ME!"_


	9. Light

_Ding… Ding… Ding… Ding… Ding… Ding..._

After the final bell tone rang out, the door cracked open, breaking the silence that would have inevitably followed.

"Kids!" Tony hit himself against the door twice trying to wheel himself in. "Where's Paige? Is she all right? Where is she? What the _hell _has happened here!"

Shrignold was now at the vent, gripping Paige's hand so tightly that his own knuckles were turning white. She was sobbing, holding Shrignold's hand just as tight.

"Kids! Move away, Shrignold, or stand up and help me pull her out. Mangle will be locked on her until we move her. She won't dare move away if Paige can feel her."

Paige was taking shaky, deep breaths as Tony and Shrignold went to work pulling each stiff joint off of Paige's legs, which were cut through. Nothing was too deep, but they were going to need to at least clean it and bandage the wounds.

"First aid kit's in the stage area, don't you worry about the animatronics. They might stare, but they're not going to attack you."

Shrignold nodded, all of his fear drained out of him at this point. He nervously stepped out into the hallway, and Tony went back to work on Paige's predicament.

Their silence spoke enough words for conversation, but Tony decided to break the silence anyway.

"You were both reckless. It's neither of your faults, I'm sure that Mangle was determined to get somebody. Perhaps she was trying to find the killer."

"... We saw him."

"You what?"

"He was at the end of the hallway, staring at us. He was in this creepy long yellow and brown overalled creature."

"Of course!" Tony slapped a hand to his forehead. "Roy! Manny's dad! The only animatronic big enough to hold a person at all, because he's got no wires. And you saw him? What if he's still in the building?"

"Mangle won't hurt me!" Paige was suddenly concerned. "Go find Shrignold!"

"No, hang on, this is the last little bit stuck in you!" Tony pried the arm off with one great heave, causing Paige to yell in pain for only a moment as the offices light cut. The metal scraping came again and Tony instantly wondered if he should take Paige with him to go find Shrignold in case the killer was aiming for her, or she could walk.

An "Ouch!" and "Fuck!" in the darkness told him otherwise.

"I can't walk. Tony, go find him, please!" As the lights came on again, he saw Paige with one leg on the ground, and her wincing in pain.

Tony raced down, as fast as his own rickety wheelchair would take him. It wasn't as fast as he would have liked, but still. He had to find him!

* * *

Shrignold, on the other hand, was down by the show stage now. Manny, Greenie, and Robyn were all there at their respective places. Greenie briefly looked to him, a leer in his eyes, but then clicked right back. Shrignold shivered and quickly saw the first aid kit far away on the wall.

Until Manny's head creaked and looked down at the floor of the stage.

And Shrignold finally saw it, letting out a scream.

The Roy suit was laying there, abandoned at the floor of the show stage.

Next to a child whose body could only be described as one that had been sliced through in every way possible.

"Shrignold!" Tony wheeled in, and saw the horrific sight that he was staring at.

"... Get the first aid kit, go back to Paige, call 911, then find Mireille's number on the desk somewhere, I'm sure I've scribbled it down, and get her over here, too. Go, now!" Tony waved a hand, and Shrignold's body finally started to move again. He snagged the kit off the wall and ran back to the security room, where Paige was now trying to stand, but could barely find herself able to with all the pains in her legs.

"Jesus fucking Christ."

"You know I don't like that phrase," Shrignold said as he walked in, opening the first aid kit and finding the alcohol pads.

"Shit, sorry Shrig. I've been working on it. What the hell happened? I thought I heard a scream."

Shrignold froze, and Paige stopped pulling up her pant leg to bend down and look at him. "Shrig?"

"...I've… I've got to call the police. Another kid's dead."

Paige could only stare now, knowing that they had truly seen a killer last night, and felt her whole body go numb as Shrignold dialed the emergency number, then Mireille, Tony wheeling in to then help with bandages as Shrignold talked.

* * *

Neither of them were mentally or physically ready for the amount of questioning the police put them through. Tony and Mireille had made them swear to not mention the murderous animatronics, but that was very difficult when the suit was next to the child. They kept asking about it's meaning, what it was meant to represent, and all they could say was that they thought they had seen the killer at the end of the hallway.

There was no conclusive evidence, and until they had finished reviewed camera footage (which would take a while to get, they said), Paige and Shrignold were let out at about 8:00 PM. They embraced when they saw each other, and Tony was there with Mireille.

"Let me drive you all home," was all she said before helping Tony into the front seat and folding his wheelchair up to stick into the trunk.

Paige and Shrignold ended up falling asleep against each other in the back, while Mireille and Tony talked up front.

"You know, those kids might not make it any more nights at this rate. They'll end up just like Laura."

Mireille gripped the wheel tighter, trying to ignore that looming feeling. "I know, and look at how peaceful they are right now. Do you really think that we could let them go back?"

"They have to. Nobody else can take the night shift. I can't work 24 hours, and you won't make it. I trust you to, Mireille, but you can't afford to."

"Is there anybody else?"

"At this point, the animatronics are too vicious. They'll kill the next guard no matter what. They're too vicious. Paige and Shrignold _get_ it."

"...Did you hear? I tried to call their parents, to inform them of Paige's situation with her legs, and then Shrignold's situation."

"Oh?"

"I couldn't. Do you want to know why?"

"Pray, tell."

"They're both orphans. They're living on their own, with no family. My next question was, how attached are you to them?"

"What? What are you implying?"

"I'm implying that I think they need the company."

"And I'm saying that I think they don't. They're working fine on their own."

"Are they going to after this job? They need somebody who understands. And it's clear you've grown attached to them. Honestly, if you were all in a series, you three would be the main parts of the story."

"That's taking it a step too far."  
"No, really. Try it. Ask them tomorrow how they feel about it. You're all a little lonely and have things that only you three understand. You're going to ask them, or I'll tell."

"All right, I will! Just get them home."

* * *

Paige had officially moved into Shrignold's room, out of fear. They both laid there, twin beds right next to each other, unable to sleep. Shrignold briefly debated going out into the kitchen to cook, hoping that it would calm his nerves enough to sleep. But he found himself unable to get up. Eventually, when he found it in himself to turn over, he saw Paige, with a flashlight, scribbling on her drawing pad.

"Paige?" Shrignold whispered, even though there wasn't anybody else there. At least, that's what he knew. He felt like there was a presence with them at all times, watching and breathing, and waiting for them to slip up so it could lunge out and attack them.

"Sh, I'm trying to draw all the bad thoughts out. I think it might be a great coping mechanism. Honestly, I'm surprised how well it's actually coming along."

Shrignold leaned over and saw the drawing on her pad, a picture of all the animatronics swirling in the darkness, even the Caterpillar they had only seen for a few brief moments.

"We've got to go soon, it's no point in getting three hours of sleep. We're better off just going at this point."

Paige scribbled down the last bits of the drawing while nodding. "You're right, we probably should go." She rubbed her eyes and tossed the sketchbook to the foot of her bed, trying to move and be ready for what might be their longest night yet.


	10. Pop

Paige and Shrignold settled down into their seats. There wasn't much conversation between them. Tony had seemed to be mulling over something as he moved around the office, telling them about the importance of keeping all eyes open tonight, that it had to be their last night before the very end of their shift. But it was clear to both of them that there was something on his mind, something related to them, as he had had trouble looking both Paige and Shrignold in the eye the whole time he was talking.

The first clangs throughout the silent building began as soon as the twelfth bell rang out to signal the start of their six-hour shift. Paige checked the cameras, and she finally found Greenie, already a considerable distance away from the show stage. She then clicked to the music box, which hadn't been wound for a while apparently - it was already halfway down.

Shrignold was sitting cross-legged on the desk, flashlight on his lap and button in his hand. They knew that something was going to lunge out at them tonight, and that neither of them were going to like very much.

The phone rang fifteen minutes later, as Paige was making faces at Greenie and Robyn through the cameras, because she was sure they were taunting them by running all around the building instead of approaching them.

"Hello?" Paige felt her own hand shaking, something she hadn't even noticed yet. Had she gotten that used to it?

_"Hello, Paige, you there? Just keep a close eye on things tonight, all right? The police have that place under surveillance."_

"Are you telling me nobody's allowed in or out?"

_"Yes, they're watching the place. Dammit! I never told them you were in there!"_

His sudden change in voice briefly stunned Paige, and Shrignold, hearing the yelling, leaned back to also listen in on the phone call.

_"Damn it all. You guys can't leave. They have the place on watch until about 5:30 AM, and I won't get there until six."_

"I don't like the sound of that thirty-minute gap you're all giving us, Tony," Shrignold said, clearly aware that there was a lot that could happen in thirty minutes.

_"I don't like the sound of it either, but that's what has to happen. Also, I might be tied up later tomorrow. In a couple days, you might have to take the day shift. I'm not sure how much longer this place is going to last, but it might be just the one birthday party or something. And then, they're trying to find the original creator of the animatronics to find out what the hell's wrong with them. Mireille's even losing sleep tonight trying to find them and track them down. No solid leads yet, though."_

"Do you have any good news for us?" Paige asked, her frustration at the entire situation steadily increasing, until Tony said through the receiver, _"Yes."_

"What, what is it?!" Paige and Shrignold were suddenly keen to hear this part of the news, but before they did, they checked to make sure nothing was coming down their way, that nothing was creeping through the vents, and that the music box was solidly wound up again.

_"Here's the good news. Mireille and I were talking, and we were trying to tell your parents about your situation. However, we found that we can't contact your parents. Neither of you had any that we could find, and you've happened to bond and live on your own as the best of friends. Siblings, even. And well, you might need someone who understands what you two have been through, and a family… so I was wondering if, maybe…"_

Paige was hit with a sudden realization.

"You want us to come live with you?"

_"That. That is exactly what I want to do. I think we'd make a good family, don't you?" Tony gave a laugh, then an incredibly long yawn. "Mull it over if your brain finds the time tonight. Good night, see you in the morning."_

The phone clicked off, and Shrignold hung it up before flickering in the hallway. Instantly, he reacted to Foxy at the end of the hall, but he managed to ward him off with the flickering of the flashlight.

"Jesus, I'm not ready for any more of this," Paige commented, trying to track down where Robyn had moved to.

"I know you're not, but you know. There's still going to always be more to worry about. Like that Balloon Buddy. I hate that thing so much, you have no idea."

"It's fine, you have a phobia, there is absolutely nothing to be worried about on that front. Your fear can cripple you."

Suddenly, the vents starting clanging, and Shrignold quickly grabbed the button while Paige checked around the two ventilation systems.

Greenie's soulless eyes were staring at her through the camera, and the static came, and she knew instantly that Shrignold was going to need to play dead with her.

They both knew with a single nod, and she leaned back into her seat, and Shrignold, on the floor. He gripped the button and tried his best to put the button finger out of sight. These things were getting violent today, and he wasn't going to take any chances.

Lights flickering and scraping metal told them both that he was in the office. And Shrignold was pretty sure he also heard something down the hall. But first things first, they had to get Greenie out the office.

Paige's sight could only register Greenie's buck teeth and vibrantly dead blue eyes, and she waited as long as she could to hear the laughter, and felt relief wash over her when she finally heard it echoing through the hallway. She wondered how Mireille had recorded those laughs, and the installation of the system, how many night guards were tested for it to work.

Greenie shuffled out, and they settled back into their positions as soon as they could. Shrignold picked up the flashlight and saw what he thought he might see.

"Manny's finally here, and that's not good."

"Are you serious?" Paige was stunned that another animatronic had managed to make it in the hallway, and with the flashlight shining there, Manny was so close.

"We can't let him in," Paige said. "Flicker it, flicker the flashlight! Come on, he'll have to leave!"

"No!" Shrignold, in turning to look, hit the button by accident. The laughter, which had barely faded in echoing, came back in full force.

And the flashlight, still shining on Manny, showed him turning around and shuffling back to the show area.

"...That works on them."

"Not on Harry, probably. I vaguely recall him being mentioned as being a little funky."

"Yeah, but still. That worked. He went away!"

* * *

"Where's Balloon Buddy?! Fucking hell!"

Paige was clicking through every camera, and Shrignold had come close to ripping his shirt together, with how much he was pulling on a bunch of loose strings.

"Shrig, just stay calm, we're going to find Balloon Buddy, I promise." Paige kept clicking through, and even though she couldn't find him anywhere, even in the left vent, she kept searching. The horned demon had to be somewhere.

Then, she heard a scream. Shrignold had checked the lights - hallway, right, then left vent. And there inside the left vent was the grinning orange unicorn, balloons beginning to float out.

"No, no no no!" Shrignold fell to the ground and started scurrying away.

Paige didn't bother to check how much time was left. She quickly wound the music box to full and went to help Shrignold up. When they both looked back, Balloon Boy was standing outside, at full height. He wasn't terribly tall, but the smile… that was the most unnerving feature of the animatronic.

Suddenly, Shrignold screamed and shielded himself behind Paige, and she took a moment to blink.

In that moment, a balloon burst, and another one in succession. Shrignold screamed even louder and fell limp behind Paige as she turned to catch him.

The laughter came next. And that laughter came with a screeching scrape of metal on metal. And instantly, Paige knew what to check before trying to escape.

Sliding Shrignold so she was supporting him by a shoulder and an arm, Paige took the flashlight and shined it down the hallway.

And there was Harry, standing there with a bright hook ready to kill them both.

In that moment, lights began to flicker. Everything happened so suddenly.

The flashlight died out, and the metal scraping began, even louder and faster. Harry jumped inside, and attacked Balloon Buddy, the nearest thing to his arms. As he tore at the metal of the animatronic, gouging eyes out and tearing apart the rest of his balloons, the popping sounding like gunshots.

Paige dragged Shrignold to the door, holding his frozen body close as she watched the horrific scene with wide eyes. Although there was no blood, it was still extremely violent and difficult to tear away from.

And as Balloon Buddy lay in pieces on the floor, Harry turned on her and Shrignold next. There wasn't anything left for them. He was in the office, and he was going to kill them.

_Rattle rattle._

The thumping began as Harry slowly stepped over to them, hook raised to kill.

_Jigglejiggle. _

Paige felt herself give away, and as she did, Shrignold slipping out of her grasp.

_Shrignold…! _

_Jiggle. Click!_


	11. Conceal

"Shrignold! Paige!" Tony wheeled himself in as soon as he could, door slamming against the wall. Seeing the sight of a torn Balloon Buddy first, he instantly turned his head to see beside him the horrific image of Harry standing above Paige and Shrignold. Paige had passed out, while Shrignold was lying on the floor with wide eyes. Clearly, something horrible had happened here, as the 6 AM bells tolled on from inside the building.

The policeman who had opened the door stepped inside and went to push it closed, but saw the scene before him and started to swear violently, dropping the keys to the floor with a clatter.

Tony turned in the wheelchair as fast as he could, and gripped the man's collar to pull him down to his height.

"You mention a single damn thing that happened in this place, to either of these kids, or what you've seen, and it's your job that will be on the line by order of Myrtle Merriment Cooperation. Is that understood?" His voice had entered a low and strong growl, and the man nodded and quickly stood up to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him about Pirate Harry and two young adults lying on the ground.

To make matters worse, the lights chose to flicker in that very moment and give Harry his chance to run out of the room, to the back room where he would lay.

"Fucking Christ, they're alive!"

Tony couldn't help but groan as he turned again and glared at the young policeman. "You and your mouth are sealed. This place is doomed to close down anyway. I can tell already. These kids have dealt with their five nights at Manny's better than any kids I've seen so far, and I don't want their lives ruined."

"Sir, I was left here all night just to keep watch while everybody else went home. A newbie. Sir, you can't not expect me to report this."

Tony felt the urge to punch the man, but his own muscles were worn.

"But…" The man looked to the two on the floor. Paige was starting to wake up. "Would it ruin their lives? How do I know they haven't done this funny business?"

Tony looked down at them on the floor too. "...Because if these animatronics are alive, and if Pirate Harry tore Balloon Buddy there to shreds, why would they program it to nearly kill them, too?"

"...They're alive. You can't program that."

"No, you're right. Just go. Go back to your office. Make the right choice. You know the one."

The policeman stepped to leave, but not before picking the keys up off the floor and tossing them onto the desk. Shutting the door behind him on the way back to his cruiser, he sighed.

What was the right choice?

Back inside, Paige had woken up, and Shrignold was starting to recover as Tony sat in front of them on his wheelchair.  
"Tony, we can't. We can't do another night." Paige sat up and held her head, feeling like she was in a severe daze. "Shrignold and I just can't do this anymore… Shrignold! Where is he?"

"Here…" He held out a hand, and Paige took it, holding it to touch her face and make sure it was real.

"Shrig, oh God, the last thing I remember is letting you go, and I didn't want you to get hurt… I'm so glad you're all right, oh God…"

He pulled himself up and rested against Tony's wheelchair, who didn't mind except that there was one small point to fix…

"We've got to fix Balloon Buddy, you know."

"What? You know how?"

"I'll have Mireille check up on him when she gets here, but I've got a little bit of technical know how about these accursed things." He wheeled over to the desk and cleared off a space. "All right, Paige, if you're feeling okay to stand up, get me all parts of his torso and legs. We'll start with those."

Paige grabbed what was requested, leaving Shrignold to recover against the wall.

"Those murders… are they going to ruin business, Tony? Will this place really close?"

"You most certainly bet it will. I know for a fact this place isn't staying open any longer. Management told them that after the last birthday party here, we're closing up shop. There's no more to this." Tony examined a few of the torn wires. "Voice box out… moving arms out. Blinking wires still entact…"

Paige picked up the head next, which must have just been knocked off because it was all still in one piece save for a cracked eye. If anything, it made it more frightening when she stared into it.

"Here," she held it out, and Tony took it, while she collected the few last pieces that had been torn around by Harry. By the time they had managed to almost completely fix Balloon Buddy, Shrignold was standing up, trying to move again.

"Shrig, let me help you out." Paige went over and helped him stand and move around the office, to stand next to Tony, who was looking down at the finished product of Balloon Buddy.

"Look, kids, I'm gonna have to ask if you can stay just one last night. That's all I need from you. Just the one. Because I've got something big tomorrow, and I've heard that is place is closing down tomorrow, after the last birthday party. We need the night guards for just one more night…"

Paige stood there, and Shrignold leaned heavily against her.

"Show up if you want to. I'll leave a wedge in the door, so make sure that you take it out when you get there… if you get there."

* * *

Paige sat on the couch at home, staring into space. She swore she could feel the heat of the tablet sitting on her knees no matter how she sat, and the animatronics eyes on her, so she kept trying to contort her position to one where she didn't feel the heat of the tablet or the eyes of the animatronic. Shrignold was cooking in the kitchen, and after the oven's timer went off for a third time, she yelled, "Are you using every ingredient in the kitchen in there?"

She heard the grinding of the pan stop, and him yell back "No… just most of them!"

Paige let out a breathing laugh and sat up to see what he'd made this time.

Stew, pasta, and sauce sat brewing on the stove. On the table sat a batch of cookies, a cake, and he was pulling out a salmon from the oven.

"Shrig, I don't know who you are inviting over, but you seem to have prepared a feast for whoever they are."

"I just… I'm tense. Baking and cooking is helping. Pasta and salmon is ready, if you want it. We haven't eaten since lunch yesterday, so I think we're both starving."

Paige finally felt her stomach growl, and she gave a small laugh. "...Well, you're not wrong."

* * *

Shrig pulled out the wedge in the door, and it slammed shut. Now it was locked from the outside, and probably locked from the inside. They had never actually tested it before. But they weren't going to know. Rather not know than know it's locked.

They settled into their usual positions. Every night was getting harder.

This was going to be the hardest.

* * *

The police officer stood outside his superior's office. His shift had just ended, and he was debating if he should knock and tell his superior what had he had witnessed at Manny Myrtle's, or if he should leave it go.

The farthest he made it was his hand on the doorknob, turned to twist it open.

When suddenly, it was jerked back, and he nearly fell into his other officer, reporting that he was going off duty.

"Woah, dude, are you all right? You look sick."

The young officer stood there, stunned at what had just occurred. He was trying to regroup his thoughts, but not before his fellow officer began shaking him.

"Hey, can you hear me? Look, Sir, he's off shift, I'll get him home!" Shutting the door behind him, the officer took his friend over his shoulder, but was quickly abandoned as the affected officer pushed off of him.

"Is there anything you want to talk about?"

With dead eyes, he looked to his fellow officer.

Yes, there is so much to tell, so much to say, let me just start from-

"No."


	12. Smile

"Shrig, shine the light! Shine the light in the hallway!" It had been a hectically unique night. It was quiet, but it was busy. Nothing could get to them at all, because they had their system. Strategy fueled their work at night. The animatronics never made it.  
But now they were freaking out, because both of the Mannys were in the the hallway. They had no idea about what they were going to do. The kids sound would only affect one of them, not the other. The newer one would have to enter the threshold of the office.

Shrignold started rapidly flickering the light, and he hit the button out of fear of them entering, since with every click, they seemed to be getting closer and closer.

Paige was keeping an eye on the vents, and who was coming in and out. There was nothing very much else. The biggest scares were Froggie in the vents, and Mannys in the hallway.

But other than that, it was a quiet night.

* * *

"Kids, I'm so glad you've made it. Now, can I just ask you to make it a few more hours? Until about noon? Mirelle will be here in a few minutes anyway, one last check up, so she'll make sure the animatronics don't go stir crazy."

Shrignold did not want to be there anymore, but Paige seemed to get a stern lip. "Day mode, right? No attacking, and kids will be present. A last birthday party, right? It was on your calendar on your desk."

"Of course, of course. But I need you there. See, my physical therapist thinks that they can make me walk again. So, I'm going in today for a testing to see if I can. This is… very important to me. But right after, come meet me at the hospital, and we'll all go see if we can be together."

"After what those animatronics did to you, I can understand." Shrignold yawned for a good long time, and Paige picked up where he left off.

"We'll watch, don't you worry, Mr. Tony. Birthday party? Balloon Buddy not scaring Shrig? Caterpillar not freaking out at us? Older animatronics not chasing us either? It'll be like we're walking through the park on a sunny day. And at the end, we're going to talk about you adopting us into your family, or at least being able to live as a family. I'd… I'd really like that."

Shrignold couldn't do much more than give a tired nod in agreement, but the smile on his face told all.

Tony beamed at them, grin clearly visible. Paige thought for a moment he was going to try and stand up somehow so that he could hug them. But he merely extended his arms, and Paige hugged him, holding him or a tight, long time. Shringold joined in as well, basically flopping against them and holding the hug together.

"Thank you," Paige whispered, trying to convey all of her thanks, her caring and attention, her respect to him in those two words.

Tony held them tighter in return, and couldn't say much more than "you're welcome".

As they watched him board onto a handicap van and ride off, Paige stretched out, gaining a sudden sense of duty. "Let's go, Shrig, we got day guard uniforms to wear and a party to start. I think there's a cake left for the kid; hopefully the animatronics didn't get to it last night… and oh, tables! The dining area…"

* * *

Mireille arrived as Paige and Shrignold were pulling a few tablecloths out of the supply closet to decorate the torn ones on the table from Harry the night before.

"Paige? Shrignold? You still alive here?"

"Hello, Mireille!" Paige gave a beaming face, while all Shrignold could manage on his part was a weak smile.

"Hello, both of you." Smiling before playing with her hair, which she had braided into a nice side ponytail that day, Mireille began to wander around the party room.

"This place is going to close," she finally said in forlorn voice.

"Yeah, just the last birthday party before it's shut down for good, Tony said."

"…I'll have to destroy the animatronics. This isn't a good place for them, anymore. I'm going to break them all down and shove them away where nobody can find them. Nobody will ever get the plans again. … I want to do that, at least. But the Manny Myrtle company wants to save those older models in the back for a future, smaller establishment. I don't know if we'll recover from the murders of the children."

Paige and Shrignold were silent, leaning on the table and staring at the ground.

"I mean, that man, he stole that suit. The father of Manny Myrtle, Roy Myrtle… the only suit tall enough to fully accommodate a person. A hollow suit. I was going to fix him, but then, time left as the animatronics started… killing off the night guards, and they became my focus. Roy was left in the back room, alone. No wonder that man went in and got him."

"Mireille, it's not your fault." Shrignold sighed, trying to straighten a crease on the tablecloth. "It's that murder's fault. And I hope they catch him."

"…Me too, Shrignold. Me too."

* * *

It was a loud party, but things seemed out of place. No kid had really gotten into trouble, the parents were just chatting in hushed words about the news lately, and how the host could even let them stay. There also seemed to be some obvious distance between parents and the animatronics, as if they were magnets pushing away from each other.

Shrignold's tired eyes couldn't focus properly at the birthday party. He could see the screaming kids, but suddenly, everything was moving in a rather slow motion.

He stumbled, holding his head. He was so exhausted. Over twenty-four hours of no sleep, he had no sense of the world around him. He tried to make his brain work as he got back into focus, thinking about what he'd say to the adoption agency to make them approve Tony, to the three of them living together… But he stumbled again, gripping his head.

Paige turned from a kid at the last moment to see Shrignold falling near The Mangle, who had been taken apart and placed back together moments before. Then, she started to raise up, hinges in her body and neck shifting to a position above Shrignold, and nobody noticed except Paige.

"…Shrignold!"

Mangle's one eye seemed to go dark, and Paige knew exactly was on Mangle's mind as her mouth opened near Shrignold. Her long pink hair flurried out behind her, single white pupil looking at her goal. A smile almost seemed to grow on her face, large pointed teeth stuck in the grin.

"SHRIGNOLD!" Paige lunged, but it was too late.

He looked up, and in that split second, saw her jaws open.

His eyes widened, suddenly awake.

_"NO!"_

_Chomp._


End file.
